JohnnyO,
I agree with you 100% The global market for oil, gasoline and Diesel fuel are controlled by the global economy, however, if you check other major OPEC nations, the cost of gasoline and diesel fuel is dirt cheap compared to the rest of the world.
One on the strangest thinks I hear a few weeks ago was that in 2011 the US has become the biggest exporter of refined Gasoline and Diesel fuel. Meaning we are sending our fuel overseas...and then jack up our prices here when the refineries shut down for maintenance...That's crazy!
I propose we limit the exports of oil. gasoline, and diesel fuel be restricted so that refineries must provide the majority of their refinery ouput to the US consumers at discounted prices for which they might receive some sort of tax incentive. Only after they meet the minimum requirements for providing a large percentage of refinery production to the US consumer at heavily discounted prices will they be allowed to export refined gasoline or diesel. The same would apply to raw crude oil.
This could be the trigger we need to jumpstart the economy and the oil companies would not loose much if any money since withholding large quatanties of refined gasoline and diesel fues from the global economy will increase the global prices based on demand.
...Rich